The Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) is proud to announce it has been awarded $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from Erie County to support local child care providers and begin addressing the region’s critical shortage of early childhood education services.
ECGRA awarded $991,785.38 in Early Childhood Educator Retention Awards to 59 deserving early childcare centers across Erie County during a check presentation and press conference at St. Martin Early Learning Center on Thursday, May 22.
“Child care is essential infrastructure — not just for families, but for the economy as a whole,” said Perry Wood, Executive Director of ECGRA. “This ARPA investment allows us to support the providers who care for our children and give them the resources they need to deliver safe, high-quality, and accessible early education.”
This investment represents the first phase of a broader, multi-step initiative to strengthen Erie County’s early learning infrastructure. Funding will be distributed to licensed child care providers to improve staff recruitment and retention, enhance daily operations, and expand access for families.
According to Start Strong PA, Erie County had 93 unfilled early childhood education staff positions. If filled, those positions could provide care for an estimated 744 additional children. Providers across the county report significant challenges in both recruiting new educators and retaining existing staff, issues that have only intensified in recent years.
“When we invest in child care, we’re investing in our children’s future,” said Kenya Johnson, Director of The Learning Ladder Early Child Care Center. “We’re incredibly grateful to ECGRA and Erie County for recognizing the urgent need in our field. This support helps us meet the moment and build a more sustainable future for child care in our community.”
This investment is designed to serve as a catalyst for long-term, systemic change — offering targeted support to those on the front lines and ensuring that more children and families in Erie County have access to reliable, high-quality care.
*This project is supported, in whole or in part, by the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund grant awarded to Erie County, Pennsylvania by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
| Organization Name | Amount Approved |
| A Child’s World Daycare & Learning | $23,683.00 |
| Annie’s Bubble Care | $6,459.00 |
| Barb’s Care A Lot | $19,377.00 |
| Barbs Family Learning Group Daycare LLC | $6,459.00 |
| Boro Babies Child Care Center | $9,688.50 |
| Bright Horizons at Erie | $29,065.50 |
| Corry Alliance Childcare Learning Center | $8,073.75 |
| Creative Learning Childcare – iRock | $35,524.50 |
| Cuddle Time Daycare | $1,076.50 |
| Dr Gertrude Barber Corry | $12, 918.00 |
| Dr Gertrude Barber Happy Hearts | $46,289.50 |
| Eagles Nest Group Daycare | $6,459.00 |
| Early Connections City Center | $16,147.50 |
| Early Connections Harbor Homes Early Learning Center | $6,459.00 |
| Early Connections North East | $6,459.00 |
| Early Connections Union City | $23,683.00 |
| Early Learning Center | $19,377.00 |
| Early Learning University | $24,759.50 |
| Eastside YMCA | $33,371.50 |
| Elk Valley Elementary YMCA | $9,688.50 |
| EPS Pennbriar Childcare LLC | $16,416.63 |
| Erie First Early Education Center | $11,303.25 |
| Fit Kids | $10,226.75 |
| Glenwood YMCA | $17,224.00 |
| Growing and Learning Center | $43,060.00 |
| Handled with Care | $37,677.50 |
| I Love It Daycare Learning Center | $15,071.00 |
| Javonne Beason | $1,076.50 |
| Jumpstart Early Learning Center LLC | $6,459.00 |
| KinderCare 1279 | $8,612.00 |
| Learning Ladder | $18,300.50 |
| Little Explorers Christian Academy | $5,378.00 |
| Lollipop U Daycare | $8,612.00 |
| McKean Elementary YMCA | $2,153.00 |
| Milestones Early Learning Academy | $13,994.50 |
| Milestones Early Learning Center | $21,530.00 |
| Miss Julies Childcare | $11,841.50 |
| Miss Rose’s Learning Center | $8,612.00 |
| Montessori in the Woods | $9,150.25 |
| My Terra Village | $4,844.25 |
| New Horizons Early Learning Center | $10,750.00 |
| Northwestern YMCA | $8,612.00 |
| Playway Loving Childcare Center LLC | $5,382.50 |
| Saint Benedict Center | $52,748.50 |
| Saint Vincent Child Care Center | $34,448.00 |
| South Hills Child Development Center | $37,139.25 |
| St. Martin Early Learning Center | $76,431.50 |
| St. Paul’s Child Development Center | $24,759.50 |
| Summit YMCA | $6,459.00 |
| Teresa Jordan | $6,000.00 |
| The International Institute of Erie | $10,765.00 |
| Tracy Heutsche | $4,844.25 |
| Twinkle Time Child Care Center | $5,920.75 |
| Waterford YMCA | $10,765.00 |
| Wattsburg Elementary YMCA | $9,688.50 |
| World of Care | $12,918.00 |
| YMCA Camp Sherwin | $2,153.00 |
| YMCA of Corry Daycare | $47,366.00 |
| Young Environment | $20,991.75 |
| TOTAL | $991,785.38 |
ABOUT ECGRA
An impact investing organization, ECGRA’s mission is to empower the nonprofit sector, municipal governments, and economic development agencies to revitalize Erie County. ECGRA is endowed with local share gaming revenue from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania via the Horse Race Gaming Act. The local share gaming revenue is an assessment of the licensed gambling industry in Pennsylvania. ECGRA administers local share gaming revenue on behalf of Erie County government.
